Read more about diagnosing urticaria. In many cases, treatment isn't needed for urticaria, because the rash often gets better within a few days. If the itchiness is causing you discomfort, antihistamines can help. Antihistamines are available over the counter at pharmacies — speak to your pharmacist for advice.
A short course of steroid tablets oral corticosteroids may occasionally be needed for more severe cases of urticaria. If you have persistent urticaria, you may be referred to a skin specialist dermatologist. Treatment usually involves medication to relieve the symptoms, while identifying and avoiding potential triggers. Read about treating urticaria. Around a quarter of people with acute urticaria and half of people with chronic urticaria also develop angioedema, which is a deeper swelling of tissues.
Chronic urticaria can also be upsetting and negatively impact a person's mood and quality of life. Angioedema is swelling in the deeper layers of a person's skin. It's often severe and is caused by a build-up of fluid. The symptoms of angioedema can affect any part of the body, but usually affect the:. Medication such as antihistamines and short courses of oral corticosteroids tablets can be used to relieve the swelling. Read more about treating angioedema.
Living with any long-term condition can be difficult. Chronic urticaria can have a considerable negative impact on a person's mood and quality of life. Living with itchy skin can be particularly upsetting. One study found that chronic urticaria can have the same negative impact as heart disease. It also found that 1 in 7 people with chronic urticaria had some sort of psychological or emotional problem, such as:.
See your GP if your urticaria is getting you down. Effective treatments are available to improve your symptoms. Talking to friends and family can also improve feelings of isolation and help you cope better with your condition. Urticaria can be one of the first symptoms of a severe allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis. Call immediately and ask for an ambulance if you or someone else is experiencing anaphylaxis.
Tell the operator about your or their symptoms. Urticaria occurs when histamine and other chemicals are released from under the skin's surface, causing the tissues to swell.
Chronic urticaria may occur when the body's immune system attacks its own tissues. This is known as an autoimmune reaction. It's not known why autoimmune urticaria develops, although it can sometimes occur in combination with other autoimmune conditions, such as:. Chronic urticaria tends to come and go. Many people find that certain things make it reappear or make existing symptoms worse. Triggers sometimes include:. ACE inhibitors that are often used to treat high blood pressure hypertension can be linked to deeper swellings of angioedema.
If you have long-term chronic urticaria, a number of tests may be needed to identify the underlying cause. If your GP thinks your symptoms are caused by an allergic reaction , you may have to go to an allergy clinic. Allergy testing may be needed to find out if you're allergic to suspected triggers for urticaria. If your urticaria lasts for more than 6 weeks, it's very unlikely to be caused by an allergy, so allergy tests aren't usually recommended.
You may also be referred for a number of tests to find out if there's an underlying cause of your chronic urticaria. These tests may include:. Most cases of urticaria don't need treatment, because the symptoms are usually mild and often get better within a few days.
If your symptoms are troublesome or persistent, antihistamines are available over the counter from pharmacies. See your GP or speak to your pharmacist if your symptoms get worse. If your symptoms are very severe, your GP may prescribe other medications, such as a short course of corticosteroid tablets. Antihistamines block the effects of histamine, helping to stop the itchiness and reduce the rash.
Examples of antihistamines include:. There are two types of hives — short-lived acute and long-term chronic. Neither is typically life-threatening, though any swelling in the throat or any other symptom that restricts breathing requires immediate emergency care. Hives usually are caused by other things besides infection, although it could be from a virus. It could be from an allergen, or some sort of an allergy that you have. It could be from a hormonal change. And it even could be emotional in some situations.
Chronic hives occur almost daily for more than six weeks and are typically itchy. Each hive lasts less than 24 hours. They do not bruise nor leave any scar. They typically do not have an identifiable trigger. If your hives last more than a month or if they recur over time, see an allergist , who will take a history and perform a thorough physical exam to try and determine the cause of your symptoms. A skin test and challenge test may also be needed to identify triggers.
Therapies range from cool compresses to relieve itching to prescription antihistamines and other drugs, such as anti-inflammatory medications and medications that may modify your immune system. Angioedema — swelling of tissue beneath the surface of the skin — can be mistaken for, or associated with hives. It can be caused by allergic reactions, medications or a hereditary deficiency of some enzymes.
The following symptoms may indicate angioedema:. The best way to identify your symptoms is to talk to an allergist who can diagnose and treat both hives and angioedema.
In some cases, the trigger is obvious — a person eats peanuts or shrimp , and then breaks out within a short time. Other cases require detective work by both the patient and the physician because there are many possible causes. If the hives have gone on for a long time, the cause is not usually identified. A single episode of hives does not usually call for extensive testing. If a food allergy is suspected, consider keeping track of what you eat.
If you have been keeping a food diary, show it to your allergist. Your allergist may want to conduct skin tests, blood tests and urine tests to identify the cause of your hives. If a medication is suspected as the trigger, your allergist can conduct similar tests, and a cautious drug challenge — similar to an oral food challenge, but with medications — may also be needed to confirm the diagnosis.
Because of the possibility of anaphylaxis , a life-threatening allergic reaction, these challenge tests should be done only under strict medical supervision, with emergency medication and equipment at hand. In cases where vasculitis inflammation of the blood cells may be the cause, your allergist may conduct a skin biopsy and send it to a specialist to examine under a microscope.
Researchers have identified many — but not all — of the factors that can cause hives. If a definite trigger is found, avoiding it is part of the treatment. If the hives feel itchy, the doctor may recommend an antihistamine medicine to block the release of histamine in the bloodstream and prevent breakouts.
For chronic hives, the doctor may suggest a non-sedating non-drowsy prescription or over-the-counter antihistamine to be taken every day. Not everyone responds to the same medicines, though, so it's important to work with the doctor to find the right one for your child.
If a non-drowsy antihistamine doesn't work, the doctor may suggest a stronger antihistamine, another medicine, or a combination of medicines. In rare cases, a doctor may prescribe a steroid pill or liquid to treat chronic hives. Usually this is done for just a short period 5 days to 2 weeks to prevent harmful steroid side effects. Anaphylactic shock and bad attacks of hives or angioedema are rare. But when they happen, they need immediate medical care.
Kids with bad allergies should carry an injectable shot of epinephrine. The doctor will teach you and your child how to safely give an injection if your child is at risk for a severe allergic reaction.
Reviewed by: Rachel S. The AAD's Coronavirus Resource Center will help you find information about how you can continue to care for your skin, hair, and nails. To help care for your skin during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond, the AAD recommends these tips from board-certified dermatologists.
You can get a rash from poison ivy any time of the year. You can expect permanent results in all but one area. Do you know which one? If you want to diminish a noticeable scar, know these 10 things before having laser treatment. Having acne can feel devastating for a teenager.
Here are 5 things you can do to help your teen. Find out what helps. If your child develops scabies, everyone in your household will need treatment. Follow this advice to treat everyone safely and effectively. We're helping you achieve YourHealthiestSkin from head to toe. Use these tips from dermatologists to keep all your skin looking and feeling its best.
AAD Shade Structures provide permanent outdoor shade in areas that are not protected from the sun. When it comes to treating the skin, plenty of people say they have expertise.
Only a board-certified dermatologist has these credentials. These welts, also called wheals, may be red, pink, white, or skin-colored. Just as they vary in color, hives come in many shapes.
Some appear as tiny spots or blotches. Others look like thin, raised lines. Hives also show up on the skin in many sizes. They can be as small as a pinprick, large as a dinner plate, or any size in between. Regardless of what they look like, hives tend to appear and clear within a few hours.
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